California Safe and Supportive Schools

Overview of Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) Grant Program

Resilience and Trauma-Informed Practices

Overview of Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) Grant Program

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In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $4.75 million in Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) grants to three local educational agencies (LEAs): Baltimore City Schools; Chicago Public Schools; and St. Louis Public Schools. The communities in these three LEAs had experienced recent significant civil unrest (i.e., demonstrations of mass protest that involved law enforcement).

The funds supported LEAs’ efforts to build capacity to address the comprehensive behavioral and mental health needs of their students by supporting systems-wide approaches that link schools, mental health service providers, and community-based organizations.

This resource provides a brief overview of the grantees, their activities, support provided, and lessons learned.

To Create Safe and Healthy Schools During a Pandemic, Prioritize Educator Wellbeing

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Educator wellbeing provides the foundation for the overall wellness of educators, students, and the school community. In this brief, we describe how educator wellbeing is impacted by school climate and culture, educators’ own social and emotional competencies and self-care strategies, and individual histories of trauma and crisis. The brief focuses on a wide range of strategies for educators and school leaders to promote and support educator wellbeing, provides examples of successful implementation of educator wellbeing practices in California school districts, and includes resources to bolster supports for educators.

Proactive and Inclusive School Discipline Strategies

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Innovative school leaders have shifted away from punitive school discipline approaches because they generally do not work to reduce the behavior for which they are applied and, more often, have unintended negative and counterproductive consequences. This What Works Brief describes a range of innovative approaches that promote self-discipline and reduce punitive discipline by:

  • Explicitly teaching students expected behaviors
  • Motivating students to commit to school rules by noticing and encouraging students who follow them
  • Addressing underlying conditions that provoke students to break school rules by providing opportunities for feedback and pro-social skill building

Developed through the California Safe and Supportive Schools (S3) Grant, What Works Briefs summarize state-of-the-art practices, strategies, and programs for improving school climate. Based on the most current research, each brief provides practical recommendations for school staff, parents, and community members. They are organized into three sections:

  • Quick Wins: What Teachers and Adults Can Do Right Now
  • Universal Supports: Schoolwide Policies, Practices, and Programs
  • Targeted Supports: Intensive Supports for At-Risk Youth